A Look Back to Move Forward
The 2008 Election witnessed the largest increase in black voter participation in history.
- Black women voted higher than any other demographic group in 2008 at a rate of 68.8 percent in 2008.
- Black Men voted at a higher rate in 2008, increased their vote by 4.6 percent to 60.7 in 2008 from 56.1 percent in 2004.
- Black Youth 18-29 years old voted at 58 percent in 2008 setting an all-time voter turnout record—the highest of any ethnic or racial group of youth voters in history.
Source: Pew Research Center
The conclusion of the 2008 Presidential Election left millions of Americans of all races filled with hope and belief that change was possible to move into a new era of inclusion and economic opportunity for all.
Over the past three (3) years several federal policies have been adopted that reflect that positive change- including the passage of the following:
- Affordable Health Care Act passed in 2010 giving 4 million more African Americans access to affordable health care
- The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in 2008 that saved the American car industry and over 1.5 million middle class American jobs were saved.
During this same period, there has also been push back on this new era of inclusion with partisan gridlock in Washington, DC that has slowed down a stronger economic recovery and the adoption of state policies in many states that are the antithesis to hope, inclusion and economic opportunity for everyone.
WHAT’S AT STAKE IN 2012?
In the last 18 months, there has been a rash of exclusionary state policies that have been adopted or being promoted including:
- Voter suppression laws such as the adoption of voter ID laws, reversal in election reforms, including early voting, same day registration, voting rights for ex-offenders and third party registration laws that adversely impact seniors, Black men and students.**
- Discriminatory criminal justice laws like “Stand Your Ground” model state legislation, have been adopted in 24 states that have already resulted in tragedies of innocent lives---such as the Trayvon Martin Case in Sanford, FL in which a 17 year old walking to his father’s house from the store was killed by a self-appointed neighborhood watchman
- Regressive federal and state policies being promoted and/or adopted attacking women, immigrants and working people.
The biggest challenge to continuing to achieve record Black voter turnout in 2012 is voter suppression
- According to the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL), since the 2008 Presidential Election 40 states have introduced voter ID laws and 9 have been successful.
- 25% of all Black voters lack proper vote ID; 25 million people who voted in ‘08 lacked current ID requirements.
- According to a 9 state report by Brennan, 5 million people are in danger because of ID law changes.
- Black senior citizens are especially challenged because of the birth certificate requirement for state-issued IDs and some who have been voting for decades are faced with the possibility of being denied the right to vote in 2012.
